


Fate/Grand Order: Canticle of the Abiding Memory

by Elegiaque



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Adaptation, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Children of Characters, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Kid Fic, Novelization, Spoilers, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-06-14 18:36:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15394941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elegiaque/pseuds/Elegiaque
Summary: Master Candidate No. 48 is eleven-year-old Shiori Tohsaka, and ever since arriving at Chaldea, she's had a bit of a problem: unable to recall the important details of her life, she doesn't know how or why she ended up in such a place.Doctor Romani Archaman attempts to end Shiori's involvement with the Rayshift experiment, but to no avail. By the completion of the First Order, she's the only one able to fill the role of "Master" and repair the foundations of humanity, alongside her new friends Doctor Roman, Mash Kyrielight and the director Olga Marie Animusphere, as well as the Servants who join their cause.





	1. Prelude and Capriccio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Welcome to the data center for the future of mankind. This is the Security Organization for the Preservation of of Humanity, Chaldea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Without the danger there'd be no wonders—without nightmares, no dreams._

When the professor politely asked her name, the young Master candidate barely knew how to answer.

"…Shiori," she had told Lev Lainur, out of instinct rather than complete understanding.

Those three syllables held such gravity when she thought them, and when she spoke them aloud. Beyond that though, her memories amounted to a jumbled catastrophe. What came to mind immediately was a flier and a blood drive, and—thanks to her apparent potential as a Master—an invitation from the Chaldea Security Organization. Surely, her mother would not have sent her. She had always been a bit over-protective and yet... Shiori could not, for the life of her, remember what her mother looked like, or the sound of her voice, or where they lived together with her father. Both her mother and father, they were a blur, lacking even a hint of an identity, neither a name nor a face, and yet she keenly felt their presence in her life. Why could she not recall them? It should have been so easy.

Despite the effective loss of her loved ones, some evidence of meaningless affection remained: a pat on the head, for example, or a swell of gratitude over an unknown gift. And that would have to suffice as her strength.

The eleven-year-old Master candidate, number 48 to be exact, traipsed down the hall towards her newly assigned chambers, vivid orange locks of chin-length hair swaying around her face at every step. Opportunities to request further clarification remained few and far between. Lev Lainur, one of the technicians at Chaldea, appeared to be quite learned, but ostensibly distant, leaving Shiori unable to get a word in edgewise preceding his quick departure.

On the other hand, she had found a new acquaintance, Shiori's "junior" despite being older by several years, a girl named Mash Kyrielight. She had been kind enough to welcome Shiori into the compound, and her smile held such a meek and gentle kindness that it seemed a terrible wrong to burden its wearer, a complete stranger to Shiori's world, with such a desperate and seemingly inane concern.

And so, she made no allusion to her predicament.

"This is your new room, Senpai," Mash explained, stooping down by a fraction to meet the little girl's eye level.

"Fou, fou," said Mash's aptly named, white-furred magic companion, Fou-kun, who nuzzled affectionately at Shiori's ankles.

"Thank you," replied Shiori to Mash, smiling despite her sense of unease. "You'll be there for the first mission, right, Mash?"

"Yes. The orientation is beginning soon. so please do your best to be on time! The Director is very... particular about these things. And that's why I have to be on my way. If you'll excuse me, Senpai."

Mash had bowed her head politely and turned to leave when Shiori called out.

"Mash!—Take care, okay?"

"I will!" the pink-haired girl enthused, and then continued on her way down the hall.

_Such a nice person_ , Shiori thought to herself, stumbling through the doorway of her new chambers, half-drunken with exhaustion. She had already begun, without thinking, to plop down on the bed when she realized she had company. There was a man wearing Chaldea's teal uniform shirt under a crisp lab cot, his pinkish orange hair done up in a high ponytail, lounging comfortably at a desk in the corner of the room

"Yes, come in," he drawled belatedly, too preoccupied with his plate of strawberry shortcake. "Wait—who are you?!"

"U-um, Shiori. Shiori Tohsaka," said the redheaded girl in a muffled voice, lying face-down on the mattress.

"Fouuu!" Having followed Shiori out of curiosity, Fou jumped up on the bed next to the girl, pawing the sheets a couple times to ready the spot for a nap.

Despite her answer, the man leapt up from his seat, pointing a fork at accusingly at Shiori.

"This is _my_ 'playing hooky' hangout! It's no place for that mysterious creature, or little girls either!" the man exclaimed, though he trailed off at the end mumbling, "Tohsaka? Sounds familiar..."

"I thought it was going to be my room," Shiori complained, lifting her head with a pout. "Who are you supposed to be, anyway?"

"I'm Romani Archaman, head of the medical division. People tend to call me Dr. Roman, though. It's probably easier to say, and it has a nice ring to it, no? It sounds cool, and vaguely sweet!"

"...Fluffy," Shiori remarked in dull amazement, pointing at the doctor's head.

"Oh, I'm normally very busy so I just let my hair grow out."

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be at the orientation, Fluff Doctor?"

"…Roman is fine," he muttered halfheartedly into another mouthful of cake. "The same goes for you too, young lady!"

"You're head honcho of the medicine division, remember?"  Shiori retorted, burying her face in a pillow. After a moment, she gazed up at Roman with curious eyes, the amber hue of hers meeting the peridot-green of his. "Doctor, do you know my family? Or a way to get in contact with them?"

"Not personally," the doctor admitted. "Why, are you homesick? What kind of parents send a kid to a place like this?"

"...Is it bad if I don't know?" Shiori started hesitantly, biting back tears as she sat up, knees curled to her chest. If anyone could help her, it was probably the doctor. "I can't... I can't remember them."

"You—you what? Can't remember your parents? Like, at all?" Roman sputtered. "Starting when? After the training simulation, maybe? I've heard of fatigue as a side effect of Spiritron Dives, but not memory loss."

"Dunno," mumbled Shiori, disheartened. "I know my name, and most things come back to me easily. It's just my family and home and stuff that's really important, they're just... poof, gone."

"...Old magus families tend to have a dislike for technology, too, not to mention we're 6,000 meters above sea level..." Roman shook his head, dismayed. "Aside from that, someone your age shouldn't even be here! The Rayshift experiment is exactly that, an experiment! Way too dangerous! What on Earth is the staff thinking? Working with children and animals should be off-limits, and yet here we are, with both of them..."

"Fou, fou!"

"Fou takes personal offense to that, Doctor!" Shiori protested, mimicking Fou's shocked indignance. It was hard not to crack a smile over it.

"S-sorry," Roman said, backtracking. "Shiori, I think there's been a mistake. Don't go to the orientation, okay? Doctor's orders. I'll have a talk with the Director afterwards and get you back home safely. You're probably stressed, poor thing. No wonder your memory is jumbled up."

"Ah, I..." Shiori fell short on words, struggling to process the sudden progression of events. "Thank you, Doctor Roman."

He was a bit startled by the girl's earnest show of gratitude and her calm demeanor, quite beyond her years, but he found himself smiling not long after and motioned for her to relax.

"Any time, Shiori. You want a cup of tea? Strawberry shortcake?"

 

* * *

 

She woke to the blare of sirens and a synthesized voice on the intercom: " **Emergency. Emergency. A fire has broken out in the Central Power Station and the Central Command Room.** "

"D-Doctor?!" Shiori yelled frantically, jolting up out of bed. He was nowhere to be seen. Even her depleted teacup and the plate of crumbs were gone.

" **Central Area's Containment Wall will activate in 90 seconds. All staff must evacuate from Gate 2 at once.** "

"Fouuu!"

Fou pawed at the door wildly, setting two expectant eyes on a startled Shiori.

"—Right, let's get out of here!"

She gathered Fou into her arms and rushed out of the door, rounding corridors until she noticed a hazy cloud of smoke drifing from the direction of a markedly lengthy hallway.

"Mash and the doctor...!"

Shiori bit her lip, pulling Fou a little closer for comfort. Was it okay to run without checking to see what happened? What if there were still people there who needed help? Yes, she was likely too unpracticed in magecraft to make much of a difference, but every second had to count for something.

And even if she didn't make it out, she wouldn't know for sure if her family cared.

"Fou?"

"Don't worry, you're smart, Fou-kun!," Shiori reassured after placing him down, stroking his head affectionately. "You need to get out of here. Be safe. I'm going to see what happened. After all, I am a Tohsaka! It's our job to help our fellow mages."

Or something like that. Shiori mustered up every ounce of courage possible and charged headlong toward the danger.

 

* * *

 

" **Those remaining in central area, evacuate immediately.** "

  
Awful. Utterly awful. The entire room had been set ablaze, torn apart without any survivors in sight. Shiori edged forward cautiously, losing hope by the second, forced to endure the fire's intensity and a maze of fallen debris. Unable to do much else, she reiterated her hopes, an aching, childish prayer, the illusion that everyone made it out safely.

" **System switching to the final stage of Rayshift. Coordinates, AD 2004, January 30th. Fuyuki, Japan—** "

"…Sen…pai?"

" **Unsummon program set.** "

"M-Mash?! No, no, hang in there! I'll get you out, hang on..."

So much blood. Shiori choked back tears and the taste of ashes, pushing desperately on the block of ceiling pinning down Mash's lower half.

"You can't… Please, run," Mash pleaded weakly, reaching out to the younger girl.

"No way, no way!!" Shiori shrieked, reduced to a wailing mess, pounding uselessly at the concrete slab. "Mash, don't die! I don't want you to die!"

" **Warning, all observation staff. Chaldeas' state has changed. Now rewriting Sheba's near-future prediction data,** " the mechanical voice droned on. " **UNABLE TO DETECT THE EXISTENCE OF MANKIND 100 YEARS IN THE FUTURE OF EARTH.** "

"What—?"

" **Unable to confirm human survivors. Unable to guarantee humanity's future.** "

"Chaldeas... turned red," Mash labored to say, turning Shiori's attention to the odd apparatus at the heart of the room, something like a bigger and more intricate model globe. "No, never mind... that..."

" **Central area sealed. 180 seconds until internal containment procedure.** "

"Can't get out... It's shut off," she whispered hoarsely.

"It's okay, it's fine! We'll figure it out," Shiori cried, although by this time exhaustion from the heat had overtaken the girl's tiny body and she slumped down next to Mash, defeated, but at the very least satisfied that her new friend wasn't going to be alone.

" **Searching for qualifying Master——found. Candidate number 48, Shiori Tohsaka, reset as Master. Unsummon program, start. Spiritron Conversion, start.** "

"S-Senpai," Mash said under her breath, staring out at Shiori with purple eyes misted over, looking a thousand miles away. "Would you mind... holding my hand...?"

" **Rayshift starting in 3—2—1—** "

Enveloped by the aureole of rising energy particles, the two girls sat with their fingers intertwined, fates teetering dangerously on the edge of eternity and the close encroaching blaze.

" **First Order, commencing operation.** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which I attempt to write a thing about FGO while waiting for AP to refill. And it has a stupid title :\\\\\
> 
> Welp, gotta get back to farming Chains, as a certain 5-Star pharaoh demands. 
> 
> Thanks for reading by the way. Feedback, comments and critique are all very much appreciated. Until next time~


	2. Suite Bergamasque

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We're gonna die!"  
> Shiori and Mash arrive in the Burning City, search for the spirit meridian, and pick up a buddy on the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Your soul is a delicate landscape_  
>  _Where roam charming masks and bergamasques_  
>  _Playing the lute and dancing and seeming almost_  
>  _Sad under their whimsical disguises._  
>   
>  _While singing in a minor key_  
>  _Of victorious love and easy life_  
>  _They don't seem to believe in their happiness_  
>  _And their song mingles with the moonlight,_  
>  _With the sad and beautiful moonlight,_  
>  _Which makes the birds in the trees dream_  
>  _And sob with ecstasy the water streams,_  
>  _The great slim water streams among the marbles._  
>  \--Paul Verlaine, "Clair de Lune"

“Kyuu... Fou… Fou…”

“…She’s not waking up. Maybe the official title?——Master, please wake up. If you die, I’ll kill you.”

“Huh—whazzat?!”

Mash’s face lit up as the little red-haired girl bolted upright in heavy disarray. “Thank goodness you’re awake, Senpai! I’m glad you’re safe.”

“M-Mash! You’re okay!” A teary Shiori launched herself at Mash, throwing both arms around the taller girl’s waist. Strangely enough, Mash had donned what looked, and felt like, form-fitting black armor, although Shiori had a more important question to ask first. “…Mash, I’m too young to die! Please don't kill me!”

“That came out wrong! It was more like, you’d have been killed if you were dead…? Sorry for scaring you, I was just really worried, and confused, because everything happened so quickly. Take a look around you, please.”

“Wh…what is this place?” Shiori turned to survey the burning landscape, discerning the gutted remains of buildings and high-rises amid the wreckage. “Yowza, it’s even worse than before!”

“This has to be—ah, Senpai! Behind you!”

Mash darted in front of Shiori, using a peculiar shield even taller than herself to deflect the incoming sword of a skeletal fiend.

“—Linguistic communication impossible,” Mash observed. “Identifying life-form as hostile.”

Shiori vacillated between shock and confusion over this recent attempt on her life. By a reanimated skeleton with a sword, no less. “Uh… a little simpler, please?”

“We can’t talk to it and it wants to kill us! Master, your orders. You and I will do this together!”

Shiori nodded and took a step back to distance herself from the enemy. It didn’t look outstandingly sturdy compared to what an undead being _could_ be. Still pretty terrifying nonetheless.

“I know, aim for the head! There’s only one bit part keeping that noggin in place!”

“That’s not… something children should talk about!”

It took one swoop of Mash’s shield to separate the head from the spine, and immediately afterward its body fell to literal pieces, the dry bones rattling against one another as they landed on the ground. Heaving a sigh of relief, Mash returned to Shiori, checking the little girl over.

“Are you hurt at all, Senpai? Does your stomach hurt, or feel heavy?”

“Still in one piece! Mash, you're so cool! Sort of like Captain America, haha! Your shield is too heavy for a projectile weapon though… Too bad. Oh, but not, you know, in a bad way! You're still awesome in my book. Um, so, what was that thing anyway…?”

“I…? I’m not sure,” Mash confessed, shaking her head, slightly bemused. “Something that doesn’t exist in our time, let alone this era.”

“Except on TV, right?”

“Right. This is probably the cause of the Singularity, or something close to it.” Mash suddenly stiffened, sidestepping Shiori to cover them both with her shield. “This is…!”

It sounded like the screeching of a firework in flight. Before either of them fully registered what was happening, a volley of projectiles cloaked in a blood-red glow descended upon Mash’s shield, impacting the surface each time with the force of a bullet.

“Mash!” Shiori screamed, both hands lifted uselessly over her head. As if that would save her now. “Oh my gosh, we’re gonna die!”

“Hold on, Senpai!” Mash grunted. “Is this… a Servant?!”

The barrage continued for what felt like eons, but Mash’s shield remained unfaltering. Shiori braced herself for the worst, but it never came. The cloud of dust raised by stray shots eventually cleared, and the two girls, gasping for breath, found themselves at the center of a crater in the asphalt.

“Looks like it sto—”

“ _Alright, I finally got through! Hello? This is the Chaldea Command Room. Do you read me?_ ”

Visibly brightening at the sound of the phantom voice, Shiori jumped up and down, unable to contain her excitement. “Oh! Could it be—? Dr. Roman!”

Mash nodded, inhaling deeply. “This is Mash Kyrielight, a member of A Team. At this time I’ve completed the shift to Singularity F. My sole companion is Shiori Tohsaka. Mind and body are both intact.”

“Y-you’d better hope so!”

Shiori’s outraged expression got a little snort out of Mash, but she quickly composed herself and continued with the briefing. “Rayshift compatibility, Master compatibility both satisfactory. Please register Shiori as an official researcher.”

“ _I can’t believe Shiori got dragged into the Rayshift… I’m impressed you didn’t ‘lose your existence.’ Thank goodness. Really…”_

Shiori heard a brief, slightly shaky exhale on his end. At that point, she felt her bottled frustration, her concern and her fear, swell upward into her throat, unconstrained. “I was worried about you, Doctor! When I woke up, you were gone, and I didn’t know if you made it out safely! Don’t scare me like that ever again!”

“ _Forgive me, Shiori. I thought it would be best to let you rest, but after the explosion I had to make sure the the back-up generators were running properly. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have left you alone._ ”

“No, it's fine," Shiori sniffed. “As long as the doctor is okay, it’s fine.”

“ _I’m glad to hear it…_ ” Roman allowed himself a wistful sigh. “ _…Also, Mash. Of course I’m glad you’re safe too! But what’s with the outfit? It’s shameless! I didn’t raise you to dress like that!_ ”

“It… it’s certainly very… flattering,” Shiori remarked, genuinely awed.

“I-I transformed into this, since I couldn’t protect Senpai wearing Chaldea’s uniform.”

“ _What’s that, transformed? Did you hit your head or something, Mash? Or was it that…_ ”

“Dr. Roman, please be quiet,” Mash rejoined. “If you check my condition, I think you’ll understand my situation better.”

“ _Physical conditi-OH. Whoa, whoa! Strength, Magic Circuits, everything’s improved! You’re not so much a human but—_ ”

“Yes, I’m a Servant,” Mash confirmed. “I don’t remember how it happened, but it seems I survived by fusing with a Servant.”

“H-how’s that even impossible?” Shiori exclaimed. “I worked with Servants in the simulation but they’re… you know, legends and heroes from a long time ago! It’s like… a super famous senior citizen and Mash got together all of a sudden! That’s why you fended off those crazy attacks no problem.”

 “I-it’s not like that, Senpai!” Mash tried to explain. “To investigate and resolve Singularity F, a Servant was provided in advance at Chaldea. The Servant lost its Master in that explosion, and was doomed to vanish, but at the last second, he offered me a contract. In return for the abilities and Noble Phantasm of a Servant, he wanted me to eliminate the cause of the Singularity.”

“ _A Heroic Spirit and a human, fused,_ ” Dr. Roman noted. “ _So, a Demi-Servant. As in Chaldea’s sixth experiment. So it finally succeeded, huh? Does this Heroic Spirit still have his consciousness?_ ”

“…No. He gave me his combat abilities and then vanished.” Mash’s shoulders sank a little, her eyes downcast. “He never revealed his True Name, even at the end. So I don’t even know whose Heroic Spirit I am… Nor what kind of Noble Phantasm I’m holding.” She gestured at the shield, and Shiori noted the distinctive cross motif, overlaid on a circular base.

“ _On the bright side, not every Servant who gets summoned is cooperative. Now that you’re a Servant, this is in our favor. Shiori, it looks like you’re the only one who Rayshifted there safely. Also, I’m sorry. For forcing you into this without any explanation. I’m sure you’ve got questions, but try not to worry. You’ve got a powerful weapon. Humanity’s MOST powerful weapon: Mash._ ”

“I don’t know about ‘most powerful’ because I’m the one who gets blamed later,” Mash lamented.

“It’s fine, Mash, I’ll protect you!” Shiori told her with a great deal of self-confidence.

“ _As long as Shiori understands, it’ll be fine. But Shiori, while Servants can be reliable allies, they also have a weakness. They disappear without their magical energy source. Their Master. And I’m still analyzing the data but it looks like Mash has become your Servant._ ”

Letting out a little gasp, Shiori beamed at Mash, giving her the thumbs-up. “I-I’m Mash’s Master, so cool! I’ll try to be the best Master ever!”

“ _There’s a little more to it than that, Shiori! I should explain everything to you in detail. The current mission has two goals…_ ”

“Doctor, you’re breaking up,” Mash pointed out. “Ten seconds until the connection is lost.”

“ _Huh, so Sheba’s output is unstable because I switched it to the backup generators? Oh well, I’ll brief you later. Listen, you two, I’m getting a strong leyline reading about two kilometers from where you are. Try to get there safely. That way, it will stabilize our connection. Just don’t do anything reckless, okay? I’ll try to bring the power back up as soon as—_ ”

“Ah, the connection!” Shiori yelped. “There’s a lot more I need to ask.”

“Well, that’s the Doctor for you. You can’t rely on him in situations like this.”

“Maybe. But he’s doing his best, and so are we. I’m happy, that you and Dr. Roman are alright.”

“Kyu. Fou, fouuuu!”

Mash giggled a bit, more relaxed than before. “That’s right, you’re with us as well, aren’t you Fou? Thanks for cheering us up.”

“Fou! I told you to evacuate, not follow me,” Shiori quipped, crouching down to give him a hug. “But as long as you’re alright…”

“Ah, I forgot to let the Doctor know,” Mash sighed.

“Kyu. Fou, kyaao!”

“He said, ‘don’t worry about that guy!’” Shiori told Mash.

“Haha, you’re right. I’ll let him know about Fou later. Once we get to the ley line, we can set up a base camp and take care of everything else.”

“Mm-hmm,” said Shiori, inching a little closer to Mash. “Y-you wouldn’t mind holding my hand on the way there though, right? It’s… kind of scary here…”

“You did the same for me, back there,” Mash recalled warmly. “I don’t mind at all.”

 

* * *

 

A little over a mile later, the Master-Servant pair had neared the specified point, with only flames as far as the eye could see. Shiori tried to keep her eyes down, shaken down to her core by the desolation and overwhelming absence of human life.

“It’s nothing like the Fuyuki in our data,” Mash said. “It’s… it was, an average regional city. There’s no record of a disaster like this happening in 2004. The mana density in the air is abnormal, sort of like ancient Earth…”

A shrill cry, notably female, interrupted Mash’s train of thought, and Shiori nearly tripped over her own two feet, scared out of her wits.

“That doesn’t sound good!” she cried.

“Let’s hurry, Senpai!”

Around the corner, a horde of the sword-wielding skeletons from earlier had a young, pale-haired woman cornered, and out of sheer distress she had started muttering things to herself: “Who are these guys anyway? Why do these things keep happening to me? I can’t take it anymore, come save me, Lev! You were always there for me, right?”

“Director Olga Marie?” Mash called in shock.

“Y-you two over there…! What in the world is going on?” the young woman demanded, her orange-brown eyes rounding in anguish.

“I’ll explain—after I—get these things—to back off!” Mash told the director between taking swings at the skeletons.

“And who are you supposed to be?” Olga Marie asked Shiori. “I didn’t know Chaldea employed children…”

“Um, hi? I’m Shiori. I'm not exactly sure, but—”

“The battle is over,” Mash announced. “Are you hurt, Director?”

“What’s going on…?” Olga Marie narrowed her gaze on Mash, growing more agitated.

“Director? About my situation, I know it’s hard to believe but—”

“A Demi-Servant, right? It’s obvious you fused with a Servant,” said the Director. “But what I want to know is why it succeeded now, and so suddenly? No, enough of that. You, the little girl who skipped out on my speech! How did you become a Master? Only first-class Mages can enter contracts with Servants. There’s no way you could become a Master! What did you do, give her the puppy dog eyes and that’s it?”

“Eh? Um, I…” Shiori stammered nervously. “I didn’t do it! Don’t look at me!”

Luckily, Mash swooped in to rescue Shiori. “There’s a misunderstanding, Director. I’m actually the one who forced the contract.”

“What did you say?”

“I’ll explain how it happened. That way we can understand each other’s side of the story...”

 

* * *

 

“…And that’s how it happened,” Mash finished explaining. “We were dragged into a Rayshift and teleported here to Fuyuki. No other Master candidates shifted with us. You’re the only human we’ve run into, Director.”

“Skeletons! Do not count!” Shiori specified.

“But this gives me hope,” said Mash, “because if you’re here, that must mean other candidates were teleported.”

“…There aren’t, actually. That much I am certain of,” Olga Marie said, crestfallen. “I hate to admit it, but I know why were shifted to Fuyuki.”

“You get why we survived?” asked Mash.

“All of us here share a common denominator. Neither me, nor you, nor that small one were ‘actually inside the Coffins.’ Though Rayshifting flesh and blood isn’t likely to succeed, it’s not impossible. Meanwhile, the Coffins have breakers. When success rate drops below 95%, the power’s cut off. So, they never Rayshifted in the first place. We’re the only ones.”

“I see,” said Mash. “That’s why you’re the director.”

“Oh… isn’t ‘Coffin’ a little too ominous for such a risky situation?” Shiori asked. “…But does that mean you weren’t planning to shift, Director?”

“What commander heads to the front lines?” The soldiers have to do the fighting, see,” Olga Marie said bluntly. “Hmph, whatever. I understand the situation now. Shiori, since it’s an emergency, I’ll approve this contract of yours and Kyrielight’s. From here on out, you’ll follow my instructions. First, let’s set up base camp.”

“Roger that!” said Shiori, throwing in a salute for good measure.

“Listen, this is the time to search for a Leyline Terminal,” said Olga Marie, “a place where magical energy converges. There, we’ll be able to contact Chaldea. So in this town’s case…”

“This is the point, Director,” Mash said, motioning towards the ground.

“R-right, I knew that, of course!” Olga Marie cleared her throat and nodded her agreement. “Mash, place your shield on the ground. I’m going to set up a summoning circle with your Noble Phantasm as the catalyst.”

“Are you alright with that, Senpai?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“…Understood. Let’s start.”

Shiori looked on curiously as the two older girls went about their procedures. Not knowing what else to do, she sat down on the ground cross-legged and watched closely. Every action was likely calculated to achieve a specific effect, so precisely that Shiori wondered if she’d have the skill to do the same.

She had a feeling, vaguely, somewhere deep inside her heart, that there was a promise, somewhere along the way, that her mother would teach her everything she needed to know as a mage.

“Oh…!” Shiori gasped as a bright light fulminated around them, and the space over that point in the leyline glowed with neon-blue lines.

“This looks,” Mash said, “the same as the summoning experiment chamber at Chaldea.”

“ _CQ, CQ. Hello? Okay, the connection’s back!_ ”

“Doctor!” Shiori breathed a sigh of relief on seeing the hologram of Romani Archaman’s face, in good health.

“ _Nice work securing the connection. We can communicate and even send rations…_ ”

“Huh?!” Olga Marie suddenly started shouting. “Why are you running the show, Romani? What about Lev? Where’s Lev? Put Lev on!”

To start, Dr. Roman wailed helplessly in the face of Olga Marie’s ranting, but then it struck him. “ _Director, you’re alive? Unharmed? I…_ ”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Where’s Lev? What’s the head medic doing in charge?”

“Don’t bully him!” Shiori said, tugging at the frills of Olga Marie’s sleeve.

“ _I’m fully aware that I’m not cut out for this, but there’s nobody else, Olga Marie. The surviving full time staff is less than twenty people, including me. I’m in charge because there’s no one ranked higher who survived. Professor Lev was supervising from the Command Room. There’s no way he could survive that blast…”_

“N-no way, Lev…!”

 _The poor Director_ , Shiori thought to herself. That person seemed to have been a strong influence in her life. Gone. That was death, when they disappeared for good, never to return again. For all its uses, magic apparently held no sway over death's woeful finality.

“…Wait. Less than twenty survivors? What about the Master candidates? The Coffins?”

“I told her that ‘Coffin’ was a bad omen,” Shiori whispered to Mash, sadly.

“ _Forty-seven, all in critical condition, and we’re short on medical supplies. We might be able to save a few, but all of them might be—_ ”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Cryopreserve them immediately! Think about reviving them later. Your top priority is to make sure they don’t die.”

“ _I-I’ll get on it right away. Roman, out.”_

With that, the hologram vanished, leaving the three young women alone.

“…Isn’t cryopreservation without prior consent a crime?” Mash remarked. “And yet, you made the decision right away, putting human lives ahead of your reputation as the director.”

“As long as they’re not dead, I can explain myself later. Why else?” Olga Marie said, suddenly defensive. “Forty-seven lives, there’s no way I can carry that burden! I’m begging you all, don’t die, please. If only Lev were here, he’d know what to do…”

“Olga Marie is a gentle person, isn’t she?” Shiori said to the director, giving her a supportive smile. “Thank you for all your hard work. It seems like a stressful job, but you’ve done a lot of good!”

The director stared at the little girl for a moment, taken aback, although a split second later, she turned away to conceal the blush reddening her cheeks. “Something like that, from a child…!”

In spite of her previous bluster, when Shiori reached out to hold the Director’s hand, she didn’t pull away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is 3 AM, I have to sleep, I have to stop farming the stupid Caster Ifreet-thing for Lamps, Ozy's laughter may or may not haunt my dreams for the rest of eternity. This node is called the Mirage of Dreams, sure, but it might be more of a nightmare?
> 
> Pharaoh, with all due respect sir, you require 15, I repeat, FIFTEEN LAMPS per each of your three skills' 8th enhancement, for a grand total of 45. Now, I have a total of FOUR Lamps after farming for them Ra-only-knows however many times. You're gonna be 7/7/7 for a loooong time, and that's IF I can get the 29 Chain of Fools (times three=87) for that! Who's the real fool here, I wonder?
> 
> //AHEM. Anyway, thank you for reading the second chapter! The action's gonna pick up a lot more in the third chapter, right now it's just exposition and stuff. ; w ; But as always, the kudos and comments are much appreciated! Until next time!


	3. The Clergy's Lamentation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _My hand was an avenger's hand alone._  
>  _So wonder not, if, with the blood I've spilt_  
>  _Still on my hand, I fain would have thee think_  
>  _That the great wall, which God Himself hath built_  
>  _Between this world and hell, may have a chink_  
>  _Through which some horror, yet unknown to earth,_  
>  _And over great for us, may sometimes slink._  
>  \--Eugene Lee-Hamilton, "The New Medusa"

 

“ _Currently, Chaldea has lost 80% of all functions, and unfortunately, there’s only so much the rest of us can do. As soon as external communications are back up, I’ll request supplies and start reconstruction. That’s the status._ ”

Shiori listened from a distance while the doctor and director discussed Chaldea’s current state of affairs. External communications… She wondered faintly if she might still get that chance to contact her family, figure out who they are again. But in the event that she did find them and talk to them, see their faces once more, would those memories come flooding back? If they made a mistake, wanted her back, could she possibly leave Chaldea behind? No, of course not, now that everything hinged on her presence, Chaldea’s only Master, Mash’s partner. On the back of her right hand, the red sigil blazoned on her skin was proof of that.

Maybe, just maybe, it was easier not knowing.

“Fine, Romani Archaman,” said Olga Marie. “I’m not happy about it, but until I get back, you’re in charge. From now on, we’ll be starting the investigation of Singularity F.”

“ _I wish you luck. If an emergency comes up, don’t hesitate to get in touch._ ”

“It’s not like anyone will save us, even if we send an SOS,” Olga Marie harrumphed, and unceremoniously cut the connection.

Hesitatingly, Mash spoke: “Director, are you sure about this? We could wait here for help instead.”

“After this incident,” the director said, “I can imagine how much protest we’ll get from the Association. I’ll have to take matter into my own hands. Let’s do this, Mash, Shiori.”

“Yes!” Shiori piped up. “You can count on me! Mash too!”

“I never thought the day would come when I’d be relying on a ki—” Olga Marie flinched at the ping of an incoming message, and she begrudgingly reopened the communication line. “For the last time Romani, you’re—”

“ _Something’s not right here! I’m detecting faint signs of an enemy… a Servant! I can’t seem to pinpoint the exact location right now, so stay on guard, you three._ ”

“There really are other Servants here,” said Shiori, her worst fears confirmed.

“It’s a Holy Grail War, after all,” said the director.

“R-really? Wait, we’re in the middle of one right now?!”

“If I must explain everything,” griped Olga Marie, ushering Shiori and Mash along, “at least keep it moving!”

Unable to argue, Mash took the lead of the group, keeping her shield at the ready, as they began advancing further into the city, seeking clues to a sound resolution.

“Chaldea observes the future through an Earth model called Chaldeas,” Olga Marie said to Shiori, who flatly pointed out the apparent redundancy of the model’s name. “As I was saying! At the same time, a familiar called Laplace compiles past records. According to those observations, an unusual Holy Grail War took place in this city in 2004.”

“Holy Grail?” Shiori echoed back. “As in the legend? King Arthur, Monty Python…”

“A Holy Grail,” Mash added, “is a vessel that contains the foundation of all magic.”

“The mages completed a Holy Grail in Fuyuki and summoned seven Heroic Spirits to activate it,” continued Olga Marie, “whereupon seven Masters battled down to one survivor, who obtained the Holy Grail. We learned about this in 2010. My father… I mean, the previous director used this data to build up Chaldea’s Heroic Spirit summoning system, ‘Fate.’ Our third invention after Laplace and Chaldeas.”

“Isn’t the third SHEBA?” Mask wondered aloud. “The Near-Future Observation Lens?”

“That was created by Professor Lev. Well, I guess you can say we both worked on it,” said the director. “Anyway, among the seven Servants, the Saber Servant was victorious. The town wasn’t destroyed though, and the Servants shouldn’t have been noticed by anyone. But now this is happening. We should assume that the change in outcome resulted from the Singularity.

“The anomaly in 2004 brought about an alteration to human history and as a result, we’re no longer able to see 100 years in the future. That’s why we must repair this anomaly. Somewhere here is the reason history has been disturbed. Once we analyze and eliminate it, we’ll be done here, and can to return to the present.”

“I’m glad, because this place is…” Shiori said, gazing at the remnants of a church, “it’s sad.”

“ _Shiori, Mash! I’m picking up on something, approaching fast_ ,” said Roman’s voice. “ _A Servant! Get out of there fast, it’s dangerous!_ ”

“Then wh—ahh?!”

Smacked more or less in the face by Mash’s elbow, Shiori expelled a grunt of surprise, which would have given way to complaint had Mash not saved her just now from certain death via impalement. The flying chain stabbed through the solid concrete of the sidewalk, eliciting a yelp of surprise from Shiori. She glanced around frantically and caught sight of the attacker: a stately, golden-eyed woman wearing an inky, tattered shawl, with long, luxuriant hair running down her back, nearly to the ground, vying with the color of roses. It took only the space of a blink for the beautiful woman to charge Mash, swinging with a double-ended lance and catching the Demi-Servant off-guard. Mash staggered, gritting her teeth as she steeled herself for whatever happened next.

“How young and fresh,” cooed the rose-haired Servant, her tone cloying and twisted. She had retreated slightly and maintained her distance, though her lips bore a predatory smirk all the while, a sign that she was merely toying with Mash.

“She’s too fast…” Olga Marie griped. “There’s no way we can outrun her.”

“I don’t see her Master, either,” said Mash. “Are there even any Masters left here?”

Olga Marie doubted it. “This whole world has gone mad, so I’m not surprised the Servants have too.”

The corrupted Servant stalked around her prey, taking a roundabout course through the rubble of the church. That was when Shiori noticed the statues inside—no, wrong. She gulped down her terror, realizing that they weren’t statues, but human beings turned to stone, their forms and expressions contorted with agony.

“They’re… humans,” Olga Marie observed in as calm a voice she could manage. “That Servant must have done it.”

“That’s horrible!” Shiori exclaimed. “What for?!”

“Are you complaining?” the Servant said, giggling as she traced a finger across the rough texture of a petrified boy’s wavy hair. “When you wander into my hunting ground, I’m free to treat you however I please, aren’t I?”

At that, she smashed the head in, sending fragments of stone flying every which way. Despite the bloodlessness, Shiori’s stomach lurched at the sight.

“Worry not. I’ve lost one from my collection, but now there are three additions.”

Metal screeched on metal, the hooked side of the Servant’s lance grating on Mash’s shield. Barely matching the enemy’s pace, Mash was relegated to defending alone, though she knew at this rate, she would tire and slip up, and that would be the end.

“You’re desperate. Excellent,” laughed the Lancer. Bolts of energy flew from her weapon preceding a brutal swing which nearly threw Mash off her feet.

“Mash!” Shiori cried, realizing that they were horribly outmatched.

“I’m not—giving up!” Mash cried, digging her heels into the ground. She launched herself forward, shield at the front, and using her whole body drove it directly into the other Servant, forcefully enough to send the startled opponent reeling.

Unfazed, if a bit vexed by Mash’s gall, the Lancer Servanr flipped her copious locks of rosy hair over her shoulders, at which point they transformed, for a split second, into snakes, and then, permanently, into chains that encircled the area around Mash, Shiori and Olga Marie, herding them like cattle into a closed pen.

“I’m no match for her,” Mash panted. “Senpai, please, get away.”

“No way! I’m with you until the end!”The eleven year-old shook her head from side to side, stubborn as ever, even though her knees were noticeably trembling. Snakes for hair and people turned to stone, Shiori thought frantically. It had to be Medusa, from Greek mythology. A woman who was broken by the gods, cursed with a monstrous form, and eventually slain by a hero. A twisted and tragic tale, if Shiori had any say about it. Unfortunately, there was no time for sympathy, and for this situation, the strategy used by Perseus simply wasn’t viable. “What else can I—?”

“You’ve got guts!” proclaimed an unfamiliar male voice. “You seem strong there, young lady, with your trusty shield. Allow me to lend a hand.”

A violent explosion rocked the churchyard, shattering the chain links but leaving Mash and companions unharmed, whereas Medusa suffered the full force of the blast.

“Caster!” she hissed at the hooded figure materializing atop a ledge of the half-destroyed church steeple. “Why do you side with these wanderers?!”

“Eh? Just because…” The blue-haired man chuckled, pulling down the furred hood of his cloak, its fabric the hue of a daytime sky. He drew his wooden staff horizontally across the air, forming luminescent symbols of power along the arc. “…It’s better than being on your side, of course!”

A bombardment of fireballs launched from each rune, bursting into a four-walled ward of flame around Medusa, entrapping her for the moment.

“The enemy of my enemy is not always an ally, but your courage is second to none," he said to Mash. “For now, you can trust me. Position yourself in the church, and I can handle things outside."

“Th-thank you!” Mash managed to say, readying her shield.

“You’re the Master, are you, missy?” he questioned, shifting his attention toward the red-haired girl. “Never too early to learn the ropes of the battlefield, I suppose. It will be a temporary contract, but out of regard for your collective bravery, I’ll become your Servant.”

Following those words, Medusa broke through Caster’s earlier enchantment and, readying her lance, charged him, furiously. He deflected the first blow with his staff, then leaping into the air to dodge the whirlwind of chains headed his way. Their paths, however, shifted accordingly, the links of the chains rattling angrily as they soared upward, launching at Caster one by one. Expertly, he flipped around them on his descent, aiming the downswing of his staff at Medusa’s head. Too slow—she sidestepped and jabbed at Caster, putting him on the defensive once more.

Her moves were lithe and fluid, even more so than Caster’s. The melee amounted to Caster blocking strikes with his staff, its ungainly construction proving a detriment to his dexterity, faced against her swifter lance. Medusa pressed him further, confident he would falter, forcing him into the church where he struggled to simultaneously dodge and back up around piles of rubble and the human statues, while Medusa had no problem hacking them to bits.

“You don’t even have time to cast a spell!” she boasted. “This is what you get for opening your big mouth.”

Caster smirked, much to Medusa’s confusion. “—Young lady!”

Mash leapt out from behind a nearby column, bashing Medusa from the side.

“What?!” she shrieked, enraged, striking out blindly at Mash.

Monitoring from close by, Shiori knew. It was time to finish this.

“—Ansuz!” Caster shouted.

Medusa had barely enough time to look down and glimpse the rune glowing beneath her feet. The first blast sent her stumbling, and by the time she recovered herself, the battle was already decided. Caster’s runic array called forth a monstrous column of fire on the exact spot where she stood. The ensuing blaze burned against Mash’s face despite giving it a wide berth, and once it was dispelled, she saw the enemy Servant charred and disintegrating, already at an end.

Shiori’s heart actually ached on seeing the look of resignation on the dying Servant’s face. She moved closer to the edge of the church interior, in spite of Olga Marie’s protest.

“Medusa…!” Shiori called out, forcibly keeping her eyes on the ground. “That’s your name… right?”

She didn’t see it, but Mash did. A weak smile, a look of gratitude, followed by the smallest nod. And then nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter where snek and doggo go to church. thank u for read!! pls kudo or comment if u like


	4. Recueillement (Contemplation)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s an Archer that uses swords and people die when they are killed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _In the high trees — many doleful winds:_  
>  _The ocean waters — lashed into waves._  
>  _If the sharp sword be not in your hand,_  
>  _How can you hope your friends will remain many?_  
>  —Wu-ti, Emperor of the Liang Dynasty, from “The Liberator”

 

Hurrying her pace to match his stride, little Shiori reached out with one hand, the other preoccupied with carrying Fou, and tugged lightly at the hem of Caster’s hooded robe, affixing him with a shy but inquisitive gaze, though immediately her conscience smote her for being too forthcoming.

“Little miss—or should I call you Master?” Caster asked with a playful smirk. “Something on your mind?”

“Y-yes, actually! I mean, I do have a question and it’s definitely one you can answer, but I’m not sure how to ask it, or if it’s even good form to do so,” Shiori rambled on a bit, cowed by the prospect of conversing on friendly terms with a powerful hero from another era.

Olga Marie groaned loudly, losing against the urge to palm herself on the forehead once Shiori whipped around, nearly panicking and mouthing the words, “help me.”

“Spit it out already,” the director snapped, “he hasn’t got all day!”

Caster actually had to suppress a snort of laughter, much to Shiori’s dismay, although Mash was there to give her an encouraging thumbs-up.

“I... err, what I wanted to ask was… if this is alright with you,” said Shiori, attempting to keep her thoughts concise. “Do you really not mind helping us? I mean with our situation, out of the blue and all…”

“Pun intended?” the blue-haired Caster asked her laughingly. “No, I don’t mind. Don’t worry about it.” He stared ahead at the fragmented, desolate roadway, turning contemplative. “I try not to get deeply involved with things outside of my own time period, and in the end, I’m always cooperating as a weapon. That’s the Servant’s Golden Rule, you know.

“While all of you are here investigating the abnormality, my goal is to draw the Holy Grail War to a close. Like I was saying to that weak-looking fellow, Saber is guarding the Holy Grail, and if we go take her down, it’ll end both our problems. Our interests line up, so why not join forces and ease the burden?”

Shiori recalled the conversation between Caster and Dr. Roman. Out of the seven Servants in this town’s War, only Caster survived, or as he put it, ‘didn’t lose.’ After something went awry along the way, decimating the city overnight, Saber began a deadly rampage, taking down the others one by one and corrupting them with a dark shadow. According to Caster, he only had Saber and Archer left to take down, in order to end this nightmare.

“You must be crazy strong, since you’ve beaten a lot of those shadow Servants already. I was kind of surprised that you stopped to help us, let alone become our ally. So, thank you.”

“That’s the logical decision, Shiori,” Olga Marie chided. “Don’t question it!”

“It’s my pleasure,” said Caster. “Not bad having some fair company after everything I’ve been through. Still, it’s unusual. That one.”

Caster stopped on a whim, spinning on his heel to point a finger at Olga Marie, very nearly poking her in between her eyes, just a couple inches short. “You don’t have the potential to be a Master, huh?”

“Wh-what of it?!” The director slapped Caster’s hand away, seething. Her irate demeanor resolved the last of Caster’s doubts.

“I mean, you’re a first-class mage, so the reason must be… a curse, perhaps?”

“What difference does it make?!” she fumed.

Caster shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “You’ve got a first-class stubborn streak, too.”

“What was that?!”

Shiori giggled at the director’s antics, ready to share a snarky aside with Mash when she realized her friend was trailing behind. “Mash? Are you okay? Am I pushing you too much?”

“No! I’m perfectly fine,” Mash said, trying her best at a brave front, for her Master’s sake. “I was just a little worried, about my Noble Phantasm. This shield, it hasn’t shown me its true form yet. And for that reason, I can’t operate at full power.”

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Olga Marie sighed. “If only you learned that Servant’s identity after merging with it. But that can’t be helped. However, Shiori!”

“Y-yes’m?”

“An outstanding Master should be able to analyze a contracted Servant more thoroughly!” she said, bopping Shiori’s forehead for emphasis. “As a Master, you’ll have to work on… well, everything, because you know next to nothing! You’ve got a lot to learn so no slacking off, got it?”

“Got it. I’ll try my hardest!”

“Sorry to ruin the fun,” said Caster, “but a Noble Phantasm is about instinct. If something calls upon that instinct…” He pointed his wood staff at Shiori, his red eyes narrowing dangerously. “…It will awaken naturally.”

Mash had darted over to shield Shiori, followed by the director, who jumped in front of Caster, ahead of Mash, with outspread arms, undaunted. An unsettling silence settled over the four of them, their tension nearly palpable, stifling to the point that Shiori dared not breathe.

And then Caster grinned, chuckling offhandedly to himself. “—Quite the family you’ve got there.”

“…Eh?”

“I can see it already: a cute kid sister, the level-headed middle child and then the eldest, who feels responsible for their safety. Ain’t that right?”

“Oh, geez!” Shiori wailed, running over to him on the verge of tears. “Don’t joke around like that, you big dummy! I mean, you’re right, and I’ve always wanted a big sister but…! You had us all freaking out back there!”

“Heh, sorry, sorry! I couldn’t help myself.” Caster patted Shiori’s head apologetically. “That was a good reaction though.”

“Seriously?!” Olga Marie shrieked, wishing she could knock that smug look off Caster’s face, while Mash only sighed in relief and attempted to placate the director’s fury. “I can’t take this anymore! Mash, Shiori, let’s rest up ahead…”

“You’re not you when you’re hungry,” Shiori added offhandedly.

“I’m not what now?!”

“No, nothing…

 

* * *

 

A crumbling landscape sprawled out in all four directions, unimaginably bleak, overshadowed by a pall of unrelenting gray, blown by the wind whispering ominous things, all bluster and no hope. Out of the broken schoolhouse windows, Shiori gazed at empty courtyards and trees lining the precincts, fenced in by iron gates. It was an impossibly surreal sight to behold, the empty amd classrooms and overturned desks, and lockers left neatly secured the way the students would’ve left them. She didn’t want to imagine what kind of lives had intertwined with this place, because none of them were going to be the same. An apocalyptic scenario brought to fruition by magic. Something like that happened here.

 “It’s nice to have a roof over our heads again,” Shiori commented to Mash, who also stood in the corridor, staring out into the unreal city, accompanied by Fou on her shoulder. “Are you cold at all? What good is new armor if it leaves your legs exposed?”

“I’m fine, Senpai!” exclaimed a flustered Mash. “This form doesn’t seem to be affected by temperature, either. I guess it’ll take some getting used to…”

She glanced over at her formidable shield, propped up against the wall, its gunmetal gray surface glinting faintly in the sparse moonlight.

“…I’m sorry, Mash.”

“Huh? For what?”

“I keep making things more difficult for you… If your Master were a first-class mage instead of a dumb little kid… you’d have less to worry about.”

“You’re very human, Senpai. So I’m happy,” said Mash tenderly, smiling. “I’m happy that I became _your_ Servant.”

Shiori’s expression brightened considerably. “Ah… in that case, I’m happy, too.”

Olga Marie listened quietly from a nearby stairwell as the Master and Servant pair conversed, heading for the rooftop as their discussion devolved into a game of searching for shapes in the clouds.

“Stars, cosmos, gods, animus… hollow, void, anima—Animusphere.”

Using her pointer finger she traced a golden sigil into a chunk of loose rubble, setting it down into the growing groundwork for a protective spell.

“You’re working hard,” Olga Marie heard Caster’s voice say.

“Better than nothing, right?” she replied as he approached from behind.

“Well…”

Caster leaned down and scooped up a couple of the makeshift runestones in one hand, tossing them up and down casually.

“Hey!” Olga Marie exclaimed. “Don’t touch without permission!”

“Yeesh, are you always this uptight?” Caster shot back.

“That’s beside the point. Moreover, about what you mentioned before. Do you know the Saber Servant’s True Name? It sounds like you two have fought several times before.”

The rocks in Caster’s hand clattered to a standstill, enclosed in his palm. “Yeah. I know. Anyone who’s been struck by her Noble Phantasm would realize her identity. A sword pulled from a stone, selecting the king. It’s famous even in your time period. Excalibur.”

“You mean... _the_ Excalibur?” Olga Marie said, nearly dumbfounded by this revelation.

“Which else?” Caster responded. “The sword belonging to Arthur, King of Knights.”

“And you’re just going to tell Mash to fight King Arthur?” she demanded to know. “Her Noble Phantasm hasn’t even been released yet!”

“She has that shield,” Caster said. “A bowman targeted her earlier, wary of its power. If the Archer has made a move, then Saber is definitely involved. You’re already far too entangled in this fight to back out.”

“But still…!” The director stopped short as her magic array began to spin and pulsate in alarm. “…An attack, now?!”

“On your guard!” Caster shouted.

It felt like an explosion had rocked the entire school to its foundation. Shiori and Mash had scrambled away desperately from the windows, which were completely shattered by the force of a projectile impacting the force field around the perimeter.

“Caster, Director?! What’s going on?” Mash asked, watching them hastily descend the stairs, her arms protectively wrapped around Shiori.

“I didn’t think that bastard would be so bold,” muttered Caster, “but I s’pose he’s desperate.”

“It’s Archer,” said Olga Marie, slightly unnerved. “He’s bringing the fight to us.”

“I want you to fight and win,” Caster said, looking straight at Mash. “It might sound harsh, but if you can’t beat Archer, you’ll never win against Saber.”

“R—right,” replied Mash, summoning her courage. “I’ll do my best.”

“That’s him?” Shiori asked, pointing nervously out the window toward a figure standing at the school gates. “An Archer using swords?”

The Servant wielded a pair of identical blades, one black and one white. Bronze-hued skin and snowy hair. Even under the falling darkness, she could see him clearly. A curious palpitation arose inside Shiori’s chest, a painful and twisting knife, dreadful and something like heartache.

“Senpai?”

Shiori looked to Mash, shield in hand, ready for battle. She had to be ready too, no matter her doubts. This uncertain future and the unshakeable sense of foreboding, she had her friends to help her decide them.

“Alright, Mash. I’m counting on you!”

  

* * *

 

An anomalous Servant and an uncharacteristic Master. That in itself wasn’t so rare. He’d seen this place before, once in a far flung dream. The skies might have been blue back then, but they were illusionary, and ever distant. Untouchable, the way things were now.

Mash was there to meet Archer at the academy gate. She shuddered, looking at him. One half of his face was marred by forked striations, like black tongues of lightning, matching his dark attire. As if noticing her discomfort, he smirked.

“Caster’s pulled back from the front lines,” he mused in a low timber. “Is he not your ally?”

“The one you’re fighting is me,” Mash replied, mustering her courage.

“Fine then. I don’t mind the unexpected,” he said. “The high of being maddened. Such petty fancies.”

Archer attacked without warning. The impact of his twin blades against her shield sent a shockwave through Mash’s body, and she bit back the cry which sprung to her lips, grunting as she forced him back. There wasn’t any time for hesitation. She swung her shield at him, going on the offensive.

“Too slow,” he taunted, repelling her strike with a quick flick of the wrist. “Are you even trying?”

Of course. Of course she was trying. Even with Demi-Servant enhancements, taking another Servant head-on proved to be a daunting task. She lacked the finesse provided by real battle experience. Going against him another time, and then again, Mash grit her teeth in frustration, unable to strike him once using her shield alone. What an ungainly weapon, compared to the Archer’s twin swords. Then again, she thought to herself ruefully, what kind of Archer was he?

There, Shiori saw the problem. Archer had Mash at a disadvantage, fighting at close range. For the moment, Shiori was forced to stand by with Caster and Olga Marie on the sidelines, watching from afar. What Mash needed was a diversion, and Shiori desperately wanted to help.

“Caster, will you trust me? I’m going to help Mash, but I need you too. Just this once.”

“And what are you thinking about doing,” Caster inquired, “during this battle between Servants?”

“If I’m right about what Archer’s after... I think he’ll fall for the bait.”

Mash continued with her duel against Archer, whose intermittent bouts of offense and defense had dwindled to a stalemate, and she was tiring fast. Neither of the two would give an inch to the other, but for how much longer?

“You’re done for,” said Archer, seeking the moment when Mash faltered.

“Mash!”

The small shout from Mash’s Master was lost in an instant as a cloud of smoke went up around the Shielder Servant. Trying to blind him, Archer figured. Something to buy their Servant time. He scoffed, waiting for the dust to settle. As expected, she had disappeared in that time. No matter, though. The black and white swords vanished from Archer’s hands and were replaced by a sleek ebony bow. He’d have no problem shooting her down.

A projectile whizzed past him, and he turned to find its origin. On the rooftop of a nearby building, he spotted the little Master, and her ally haphazardly flinging bursts of magic in his direction. There was a certain familiarity in watching the light-haired Magus trying to land a hit on him, as well as a distinct futility, since those shots couldn’t have housed more power than a bullet. He would be able to take them both out from this distance, before the Shielder fully recovered. If she returned now, he might kill both her and the Master, ensuring his victory.

“You can still save them,” he taunted aloud, readying his bow. “Come back. Let me finish what we’ve started.

_Trace on._

“—What will you do now, Shielder?” He gripped the projected sword by its blade, a shoddy imitation, really, yet not something mere magic would block, and he notched it like an arrow, turning the blade into shining golden light.  “Will you hide, or disappeared alongside your Master.”

“Don’t tell me!” Olga Marie shrieked at Shiori in between attempts to shoot at Archer. “Is he seriously using that much power? At so close a range? There’s no way we can block it. You didn’t tell me we’re on a suicide mission.”

“It’s not,” Shiori answered calmly. “The rest is up to Mash.”

This was it, Mash knew. She agreed to it. Archer poured his resources into this penultimate strike. That light threatened to swallow up everything, and everything, everyone, was going to disappear. But she still had something left to do, and something left to protect. She lifted her shield, ready to intercept from the ground.

_I’ll activate it._

Archer unleashed the fury from his arrow. The sound of it piercing through the air served as Mash’s starting gun, and she ran with every ounce of determination she had, straight into the blast. It hit her like a train, but she refused to give in, pressing against it using her shield.

_In this shield. Humanity’s future—!_

She steeled herself as the shield accumulated and deflected energy away from her and the people she needed to, wanted to protect. When push came to shove, she did not bend. To stand strong, because the wind was at her back. All the world cried out in a cosmic fugue, the swirl of voices enraptured her heart and soul. A desire was born inside her, a will which never quite manifested before. To protect…

“I unleash the Noble Phantasm!!”

Mash squeezed her eyes shut as the brilliant white and gold filled the air entirely, roaring in her eardrums, her heart racing so fast that she thought it might burst.

“Mash… Mash, it’s over.”

The gentle voice belonged to Shiori. Mash heard her pulse pounding still inside her head, and when she opened her eyes, lowering her shield, she saw the little Master at her side, with Olga Marie and Caster following close behind. Still frenzied from the heat of battle, she searched for her opponent, and saw him coming apart in front of her.

“Y-you’re…?!” Mash exclaimed, thinking her Noble Phantasm hadn’t touched him,

“It’s the result of your attack,” Archer replied with apparent ease as he watched his own hand crumbling to nothing. “To think you could use it that way… Victory is yours. Well done making it this far.”

Mash stared half in surprise and half in awe, still trying to catch her breath. The exhaustion brought her to her knees, and that was when Archer chuckled humorlessly.

“I still have one arrow left,” he said, almost proud, as he raised his bow painfully, his arms cracking under its weight. “You’re all defenseless. I can still… for her…”

“Please, stop it,” Shiori pleaded, stepping in front of Mash with her arms spread. “You don’t have to fight anymore.”

Ginger hair and eyes of gold. He gaped at the girl, trying to grasp at something which felt important, but was not fully remembered. His resolve crumbled alongside him, melting in sunlight from far away, a warmer place.

“Is that right,” he whispered, unable to recall it. “If it’s you, then…”

Those final words lingered as he disappeared altogether.

“Well done, young lady. You should be proud,” Caster said to Mash, to break the silence. “Crossing blades with a superior opponent, using your Noble Phantasm, and winning—you’re a first-rate Servant, no doubt.”

Mash was on the verge of tears, brimming with the accomplishment, the joy and relief welling inside her chest.

“Thank you, Mash!” Shiori exclaimed, with Fou chiming in on her shoulder. “That was amazing.”

“Yes, yes, very good,” said Olga Marie, clearing her throat. “As for your True Name?”

“I… when I activated my Noble Phantasm, I only thought about protecting everyone, so…”

“It was thanks to those feelings, your wish, and not the True Name,” Olga Marie observed. “What a story.”

“Sorry,” said Mash, realizing the implications.

“Not that I blame you,” Olga Marie said hurriedly. “In fact, I’m pleased you’re able to use it. But it’s harder to proceed without a True Name, right? I’ve got this. Since it’s a pseudo-deployment of a Noble Phantasm, let me see… Yes, we’ll call it ‘Lord Chaldeas.’ It’s got meaning to you. To us. Use it to activate your Spirit Origin.”

“Lord Chaldeas,” Dr. Roman repeated over their communication channel. “Fits you perfectly, Mash.”

“Yes. Yes, it does,” Mash said, smiling at the very sound. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took until 2019 to post this. Legit, the draft was written July 25, 2018 but I don’t even know what happened?.. Thank you for your comments and support, regardless! I’d like to write more, especially since humanity wasn’t incinerated after New Year’s. And if you're so inclined, please do let me know your opinions, I love to hear them~


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